WATERLOO – Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Arts is seeking submissions from Canadian writers for the inaugural Edna Staebler Laurier Writer-in-Residence position. The writer-in-residence will receive $25,000 for a three-month residency from January 15 to April 15, 2013 on Laurier’s Waterloo campus.

Staebler (1906–2006) was a member of the Order of Canada, an award-winning journalist and author of 21 books, including the bestselling Schmecks series. She was a regular contributor to Maclean’s, Saturday Night, The Toronto Star, Chatelaine and many other newspapers and magazines. Staebler achieved writing success later in life, much of which she attributed to the mentoring of a passionate teacher. She was determined to provide that same encouragement to developing writers.

“Edna Staebler was a talented writer characterized by a tremendous generosity of spirit who had a long-standing relationship with Laurier,” said Mike Carroll, dean of the Faculty of Arts and chair of the Edna Staebler Endowment Committee. “In providing the endowment that will fund this new writer-in-residence program, her stated intent was to benefit other professional writers and also the students at Laurier who will be mentored each year. I am pleased that we are finally able to make her dream our reality.”

All Canadian writers of established literary reputation in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction or drama are encouraged to apply. The full-time position (40 hours/week) requires 40 per cent of the author’s time to be spent on community programs, leaving 60 per cent of the work week available for the writer’s own creative projects. Community programs could include: reading manuscripts and consulting with students and the public, visiting classrooms, giving readings and lectures or leading workshops. Some community programming will take place at Laurier’s Brantford campus. For the duration of the residency, the author will live in Lucinda House, a century home close to Laurier’s Waterloo campus.

Applicants should be in the midst of a new writing project intended for book-length publication, and active participants in the writing community. Applications must be received by 4 p.m., July 31, 2012.

To see a full list of requirements or to apply for the Edna Staebler Laurier Writer-in-Residence position, contact Laurier Professor Ute Lischke at ulischke@wlu.ca.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Arts is the proud administrator of Staebler’s legacy in the forms of the Edna Staebler Award in Creative Non-Fiction (established 1991) and the Edna Staebler Laurier Writer-in-Residence program.